A site for my handmade cards, accompanied by my photos and written meanderings which are occasionally witty, often tongue-in-cheek, and rarely profound. Beginning in June 2013, you'll also see lots of NBUS, which is an acronym I coined for Never-Before-Used-Schtuff. Feel free to join in, use the acronym, and use up your NBUS too! Thanks for coming by! Have a beverage and enjoy!

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June 18, 2014

Celebrating All Over! NBUS #138

Hi there!

I'm doing a quick second post today in honor of a few celebrations going on. Here's a look at my card which I made for my friend Nancy who is retiring. I think she will love the suggestion that palm trees and sunshine and celebrations await her in the Land of Retirement!:

For my card, I used a NBUS Darice palm tree embossing folder for the rose-colored circle which has a stitched embossed line built into the die from Lil' Inkers Designs. The circle is really much pinker IRL. The little sun circles are also by Lil' Inkers Designs. The congrats sediment is from Papertrey Ink. The washi tape strip is from Freckled Fawn and the charm is from American Traditional Designs.

I am linking my card with these challenges:

First, there is CASology, which is celebrating 100 weeks of challenges! This is a popular and challenging cue card word challenge and I've rarely missed a week of fun! Congratulations to the fabulous Melissa and the entire talented Design Team! This week, of course, the word is "celebrate!" My little charm says it all!

At The Paper Players, the incredible Design Team is celebrating its 200th challenge! Congratulations to Lesley and the entire Team! To celebrate this milestone, each DT member has chosen their favorite challenge to showcase. We are then to chose one of those sketches for our own card. I chose this sketch by the very creative LeAnn Pugliese:

The third challenge is AAA Cards. This is a relatively new challenge in Blogland that I've been wanting to play in since they started. This challenge is their seventh and it is "Create" week where we are to use a technique. The technique this time is "embossing" and, additionally, we are to use some pink on our card.

There are a few other challenges that would also work for my card, but The Paper Players challenge rules are that we only link to three challenges, so that's all I'm entering. Please click on the links to join in the challenges and to find all the details about rules, sponsors, and prizes!

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New Friends Corner

It makes me so happy to introduce you to the next group of five new Playhouse friends, some of whom have ridden over on the NBUS!

Kim of Kim's Cards & Crafts. Kim has been blogging since 2009! She is a published and award-winning card artist and designer. Her cards are bright and beautifully made. In addition to cards, Kim enjoys cake decorating, embroidery, cross-stitch, sewing, and quilting!

Sarah of Mallows Crafty Bits. Sarah has been blogging since 2012. She is a delightful award-winning card artist and design team member. She also knows her way around animals, fabrics, her camera, and her kitchen! When she's not doing all that, she works part-time to support her crafty addictions!

These next three bloggers are all new to Blogland as of 2014! You know I love it when you make a special effort to welcome our newest bloggers to this very friendly and supportive stamping community, which can nevertheless be very intimidating to start with.

Rachel of Rachel's Card Corner. Rachel is newly married and started her blog in April. She is very enthusiastic about her craft and she makes darling cards!

Judy Woodland of Judy's Happy Place. Judy just started her blog in January. She is a wife, mother, and grandmother. Besides making her wonderful cards, she loves to knit, crochet, cross-stitch, bead, and work with stained glass!

Gracie CH of Graciellie Designs. Graciellie has also been blogging since January. She was born in Brazil and moved to Central America at an early age. She is multilingual and very talented. Her style and elegance is evident in her beautifully constructed cards!

Thank you very much for joining, ladies, and welcome to the Playhouse!

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Enjoy your day! No, seriously, enjoy. LITS!*

As always, thank you for coming by to visit the Playhouse and special thanks to you if you take the time to leave a comment and/or join as a follower! Please let me know you came by, so I can be sure and return the flavor!

*Life Is Too Short!

To open the pop-up comment box that let's you jump to the end w/o scrolling:

Click CTL + Home.Click the Home tab under my blog banner which resets the post.Click Page Down to reach the end of the post.Click Comments and the pop-up box opens.Click Jump to Comment Form; no more car pool tunnel!Mwah!

June 6, 2014 - June 27, 2014Thank you for your overwhelming support and enthusiasm!Here

What a great card, Darnell! You worked the sketch with your magic and it is awesome! BTW...I forwarded your directions about posting more than one card to a post to TWO more crafting ladies! I sent them your way...Marlena and Helen! I am sure they know you!

HI Darnell, WOW that's one bright and sunny card, I love it, good luck with your challenges :D Thanks for dropping by my blog you always brighten up the place !! :D Let's hope that you do get to write botanically again real soon LOL Hugs Gay xx

I really love the fun, bright colors you chose for this card, Darnell! The embossed palm trees are fabulous, and I love all of your stitched elements! It's perfect for retirement, too...I'm sure your friend is going to love your thoughtful, beautiful card!

What a super fun and bright card you made for your friend. Palm tress and sunshine sound perfect right about now. Thanks so much for playing along at CASology and helping us celebrate 100 challenges this week.

What a cute card Darnell! I love the colors of this one and of course I love the laid back lazy days of summer which is what this card represents to me and what better way to be laid back is to retire. Notice I didn't say lazy-cause when you retire you are busier than ever! lol But maybe if your friend can find a place with palm trees and bright sunshine she can be lazy. lol Hugs, Brenda

Love a retirement card that's not all soupy and melancholy! This is so bright and cheerful just as retirement should be! Needless to say I am loving retirement!!! Have a great day Darnell -- Need to get my NBUS card done -- way behind!

Lovely happy retirement card, your friend will love it - and retirement too! So pleased you played at AAA Cards and can't believe I'm leaving this comment on your blog as part of a DT team - you were one of my first ever followers and gave me the confidence to keep blogging. :)

Your retirement card for Nancy definitely suggests palm trees sunshine and celebrations to me Darnell, it's a gorgeous, happy and colourful card and I wish Nancy a happy retirement too. Love the memos on your work desk pic, the same could be said for my place only with the addition of nose art on my window from my cats!. I hold my hands up, cos I would so be guilty of nipping over your fence and helping myself to those chocs. Almonds and chocolate Mmm, Mmm yes siree!Hugs Lottie x

Lovely card there Darnell. I would love to have palm trees and be retired. Not a chance of either here in Wales!Thank you for your message yesterday and your lovely card. I had a lovely day and had a small hangover to prove it this morning!Hugsxx

Yay, Darnell! So happy you are playing along with our 200th challenge at The Paper Players! You friend is going to love this card. Those die cut sunshines and embossed palm trees are fab. Great colors too! Hugs!

Hi Darnell! I'm so happy you came to play with us at AAA! Your card is a "just right cutie". Everything is wonderful and it's always so nice and fun to visit your blog (I've placed your blog address on my sidebar:) Best of luck, Hugs, Victoria

Finally made it to your blog after being gone. Fritz is really slowing down my catch up time--he needs so much attention at this point. Anyway, this is such a great retirement card--wish it was for me--LOL!

What a fun, cheerful card--I am especially happy that you used my sketch as your starting point...I think some people found it intimidating, LOL! Thanks for helping us celebrate our 200th challenge with this beauty!

Wow what a lovely bright card, I bet your friend Nancy just loved it too.My MIL would call it a real humdinger ! I love being retired also, just where does the time go too though?? whooosh and the day is gone :) hugs Vee xx

Darnell, this is just about the most cheerful "congrats" card I have ever seen! I almost needed to put on my sunglasses just to take in all the bright, cheerful elements at once! I love how you incorporated the "celebrate" sentiment, too. Thanks for being a constant supporter at CASology...and thanks for helping us celebrate this week!

Just love these Lil Inker dies, and that's a great EF too. Palm trees and sunshine, and lots of cheery color. What more could a pretty retirement card need? Love this one, and so will the recipient. Off to check out some of your new friends. Hugs

LOVING this bright and cheery card, Darnell! Funnily enough I made a goodbye card yesterday with a palm tree in a circle (although I forgot to take a picture of it). Great minds huh? :) I really like the embossed palms and how perfectly the congrats fits in the circle. It all rocks! Thanks for playing along with CASology this week!

Second look at this gorgeous card is as impressive at the first. It's totally lovely!! Palm trees, sunshine, celebrations...yes, that is what retirement "must" be made of. Add to that beverages with little umbrellas in them, served by handsome waiters...Hugs~c

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About Me

I have been stamping and making cards since 2002. I've been married 47 years to Kevin, known herein as "Mister." Our son Daniel and his wife Rachel have twin sons Henry and Adam. Card-making and blogging are wonderful hobbies which have brought me noodles of friends! Oh, and I have an imaginary hamster named Hammy who keeps me in line. Thank you for visiting, joining, and commenting! It will be my pleasure to return the flavor!!